Media Release (update)

Hawaiʻi Island police have located one of two inmates who escaped from the Hale Nani correctional facility Wednesday night (September 4).

At 11:50 a.m. Friday (September 6), Kona Patrol officers and Community Policing officers responded to a report that 27-year-old Andrew Marshall Wanat had been seen on Alapa Street in Kailua-Kona.

When officers responded, he attempted to run away twice before he was taken into custody without incident. He was arrested on suspicion of second-degree escape and taken to the Kona police cellblock while police continue the investigation.

The second inmate is still at large. Robert Carlos Garcia, 23, who has no permanent address, is described as African-American, 5-foot-7, about 130 pounds with short black hair and brown eyes. He often wears a goatee and mustache, and he has tattoos on his right forearm and the left side of his neck.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.